With the light microscopy mostly metallographic grindings are recorded. For the evaluation of micro structures 3 reflected-light microscopes of the companies Nikon and Leica are available. It is also possible for us to capture images under polarized light and in the interference visibility according to Nomarski next to the common bright and dark field illumination. These illumination possibilities are used to evaluate the structures of steels, NE-alloys as well as CFRP. For the survey of plastics and e.g. the evaluation of the polymerization state we use transmitted-light microscopes. With an automatic scanning desk and the associated automatic picture recordings, recordings of grinding sizes up to 100 x 100 mm can be created. This simplifies the phase determination and the pore evaluation for the whole grinding profile.

Unetched microsections provide much information about the material, the manufacturing process and the material characteristics. Graphite formation, nonmetallic inclusions, coatings, porosity or the crack progress in the case damage analysis can be evaluated, too.

When it comes to contrasting with dark field, the direct light emitted by oblique illumination passes the ocular. Deflected light only encounters the ocular, allowing a completely different point of view. In materials engineering, we use the dark field to contrast phases and to check the quality of the preparation of metallographic sections.

This optical contrasting uses the differences of wavelengths to visualise the slightest differences in height. With the help of the Nomarski prism and polarizing filters, you can generate an interference of partial beams having different path lengths. After a relief polish, coating systems can be visualized and textures can be colorised.

Different metallographic etching methods reveal the diversity of material microstructures.

With extensive experience in sample preparation, metallography and materials science is it possible to interpret the properties of materials. For a stainless steel, for example we can evaluate the primary microstructures like segrations or secondary microstructures including austenite and delta ferrit content.

During the metallographic examinations of polymer materials and fiber-reinforced plastics thin sections are used. Microtom cuts or metallographic  thin section samples are translucent and can be regarded in the polarized transmitted light. Thus the structural structure will be able visibly and it impurities, be examined fusion fronts, welding structures, grain boundaries and spherulite.